Housing benefits

Local housing allowance

Rates are set by the rent officer on 1 April of each year.

The rates are based on the number of rooms the household needs, not the number of rooms in the property (although this may be the same). If the local housing allowance is more than the rent charged then the housing benefit will be assessed using the actual rent.

Guidance on local housing allowance

Find out how local housing allowance works, including eligibility and payment details, on the official GOV.UK website.

Read the full guidance